I feel stuck on week 5. I sort of went to week 6 but realized I couldn't really do it without taking breaks during the running parts. I definitely could not run two miles without walking at the end of week 5. i guess a half mile used to be hard for me and now I can do three 1/2 mile intervals and it's not a huuuuge deal so I am making progress, it's just slow, and I realize I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else but on some level I'm like, I'm 26 years old with no injuries and I walk all the time and do a lot of yoga and never felt like I was in horrible shape in the first place, but maybe I am? So I'll just keep doing the first two days in Week 5 for a while I guess?

_________________"No one with hair so soft and glossy could ever be bad at anything." - Tofulish

A lot of running is psychological. You do have to believe in yourself. I was talking to a marathon runner today & he said he's struggling with running at the moment but he knows it is in his head. He just needs to work out how to overcome it. Positive visualization works well apparently. See yourself doing week 6. How do you feel when you've completed it? Then go for it! Good luck.

I feel stuck on week 5. I sort of went to week 6 but realized I couldn't really do it without taking breaks during the running parts. I definitely could not run two miles without walking at the end of week 5. i guess a half mile used to be hard for me and now I can do three 1/2 mile intervals and it's not a huuuuge deal so I am making progress, it's just slow, and I realize I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else but on some level I'm like, I'm 26 years old with no injuries and I walk all the time and do a lot of yoga and never felt like I was in horrible shape in the first place, but maybe I am? So I'll just keep doing the first two days in Week 5 for a while I guess?

I recommend just going for week 6. The first few times I did C25K I constantly stalled and quit because I thought I had to keep repeating weeks if I didn't do it perfectly. The last time I did C25K I made myself constantly progress through the program without ever repeating workouts and actually got through it. Even if I skipped an entire week of running I still made myself move onto the next workout. Did I have to stop and walk (err..crawl?) sometimes? Sure. But that's okay! It's just about constantly moving forward and building up your endurance.

Yoga and running are pretty different, so it's not necessarily useful to use either as an indicator of what other athletic feats you are capable of. I've seen pretty serious runners who can barely handle any time in down dog, and I've talked with people who have been practicing for years who can't run a mile. It's because you're using different muscle groups in completely different ways. Also, yoga doesn't really get you at or close to V02 max for any extended period of time the way running does. Yoga is really freaking hard, but it doesn’t require the same level of lung capacity.

I'm sure you're in really good shape, but you're finding new ways to challenge your body! If I started to try to lift heavy weight tomorrow I would be a hot mess despite being in what I consider good shape.

Oh, I did do week 6. Then I decided to go back to week 5 because it was just depressing not being able to reach the goals every single time, and week 7 is just running 2.5 miles each time and I have still never been able to run a mile without stopping. I know yoga and running are pretty different, I guess I just wouldn't have guessed that I would be a person who was Worse Than Average at running, but oh well. I'm not going to give up or anything, I bought a jacket for it!

_________________"No one with hair so soft and glossy could ever be bad at anything." - Tofulish

Good on you for taking care of yourself baps. It's better to nurse an injury than exasperate the problem.

Did w4d3 today. Really looking forward to the longer intervals in week 5.

I also treated myself to new running gear today! I've been running in baggy yoga pants that need a belt to stay up and a black work polo, and I felt I deserved some non-frumpy outfits that I feel good in. Now I have ALL THE COLOURS.

Oh, I did do week 6. Then I decided to go back to week 5 because it was just depressing not being able to reach the goals every single time, and week 7 is just running 2.5 miles each time and I have still never been able to run a mile without stopping. I know yoga and running are pretty different, I guess I just wouldn't have guessed that I would be a person who was Worse Than Average at running, but oh well. I'm not going to give up or anything, I bought a jacket for it!

I feel stuck on week 5. I sort of went to week 6 but realized I couldn't really do it without taking breaks during the running parts. I definitely could not run two miles without walking at the end of week 5. i guess a half mile used to be hard for me and now I can do three 1/2 mile intervals and it's not a huuuuge deal so I am making progress, it's just slow, and I realize I shouldn't be comparing myself to anyone else but on some level I'm like, I'm 26 years old with no injuries and I walk all the time and do a lot of yoga and never felt like I was in horrible shape in the first place, but maybe I am? So I'll just keep doing the first two days in Week 5 for a while I guess?

Are you going by distance or time? If distance, try doing time instead. The nice thing about your intervals being timed is that if you start to fatigue, you can slow your pace a bit and not extend the amount of time you need to run. If you are going by distance, slowing down only makes things worse.

I am a slow runner. I managed to do the whole program, but at the end I was running for 30 minutes, not 3 miles. That was actually more like 2.5 miles at my pace. But then I just added 2 minutes a week until I made it up to 3.1 miles.

I decided to try week 4 again - and started to hickough after the first run! I hate it when that happens during a run - I don't get enough air. I skipped the last interval because I just couldn't go on.

_________________I tend to hook up with people who give me chocolate, but I fail to see how this is a bad thing./tofulish

I think I'm done with week 4! And it's been really cold here, so I've used my air warming mouth thingy, and it works! Looks terrible when you've been running for a bit and there's saliva strings hanging from it, but my lungs don't hurt.

_________________I tend to hook up with people who give me chocolate, but I fail to see how this is a bad thing./tofulish

I started Couch to 5K over again. I did it a couple of years ago and it went well, but then I stopped running when it got cold/I had a stomach bug, and I just never started up again. I did W1D2 today. So far it is going okay despite running in cold weather (I know it's not really cold here compared to other places, but it's not reliably above freezing in the morning lately). I just wish my nose didn't run so badly in the cold!

During the worst of the heatwave I managed to get up early most days, so I finished week 5 and started on week 6.

Then I went on holiday. We had a gym and were located next to a really pretty botanic park, so I kind of overdid it on the running. Did 6km on the treadmill the first day, then got up the next morning to run around the park (which was hilly, and back home I never run on inclines). By the time I got back my knees were killing me. :(

So yes. I've managed to bust up my knees and am taking most of this week to let them get better. Pretty frustrating, but that'll teach me not to take on too much too quickly.

I finished week 5! Well, I actually stopped twice during the twenty minute run: once to put on my ice grip thingies, and once to shake the spit out of my air warming thingy. I'm still going to go on to week 6.

_________________I tend to hook up with people who give me chocolate, but I fail to see how this is a bad thing./tofulish

I finished week 5! Well, I actually stopped twice during the twenty minute run: once to put on my ice grip thingies, and once to shake the spit out of my air warming thingy. I'm still going to go on to week 6.

Thank you! And congrats on making it into week 6!

I did a short 20 minute session on the treadmill last night (5 min warm up and cool down, 10 min run) and iced my knees afterwards. They feel good. I think I'm fine to start running outdoors again. :)

Strawberryrock, I've had to take a couple of long breaks too, and found I didn't have to go back much at all, maybe it will be the same for you? Also, if you're not making progress like you think you should, are you sure you're running slow enough? I run so slow it actually feels slower than walking, otherwise I can't manage more than 30 seconds. And I don't think slow progress means you're "worse than average" at running - no one said c25k is a perfect fit for the "average" new runner.

_________________I tend to hook up with people who give me chocolate, but I fail to see how this is a bad thing./tofulish

I've also taken a few long (and one loooooooong) breaks along the way, and I always seem to suck on my first run back, then manage personal bests the next time out. You may not have lost as much condition as you think, Strawberryrock!

I just finished week 6, after two of the best runs ever. Both felt so easy, I found my stride quickly, and on day 2 I stumbled upon this little public playground with a water fountain right as I was taking my walk break.

I accidentally went off-plan with this last run. It was supposed to be 15 min run - 5 min walk - 5 min run; but my app malfunctioned and told me to start running again early, and I thought the second run was supposed to be 10 mins; so I ended up doing 15 run - 3 walk - 12 run. And I could have gone longer.

And thus ends my awesome run streak. Today's was painful - it was stinking hot, I wasn't feeling it, I couldn't find a comfortable stride...basically every step I took was fuelled by stubbornness and resentment.

Still, I did it. 20 mins of straight running for the first time. Aw yeah.

I had a really crappy run last time. It was supposed to be my second 25 minute run (7:1), but I only ran for about eight minutes. There was just so much snow on the road, and it was all soft and slippery - my feet were sliding so much and it was just too hard. I walked the rest of the way and my legs were still really sore yesterday (I don't usually get sore from running anymore). The weather has turned mild since then, so the paths are clear now and I'm going out again today.

_________________I tend to hook up with people who give me chocolate, but I fail to see how this is a bad thing./tofulish